


The End of an Era

by countrymouse



Series: The Gap Year [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Arguing as flirting, Canon Compliant, Decisions, F/M, Not Beta Read, Pre-Relationship, ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:08:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24483298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/countrymouse/pseuds/countrymouse
Summary: When Fairy Tail disbands, Levy gets a job offer and Gajeel makes a decision.
Relationships: Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox
Series: The Gap Year [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768576
Comments: 1
Kudos: 52





	The End of an Era

**Author's Note:**

> I've been thinking about how Gajeel, Levy, and Pantherlily ended up together during the year Fairy Tail was disbanded, so this is my interpretation! This is my very first Fairy Tail fic. Please forgive any characterization errors! (Also my first time writing fic in like...5 years, so apologies for any grammatical errors).
> 
> I watched the show dubbed, and will be primarily using the dubbed names.

It was strange to see the guild hall empty. Could they still call it a guild hall, when they were no longer a guild? Gajeel didn't really care. It's not like Fairy Tail had ever been more than a place to stay and earn money. He wouldn't miss any of this. The shouting. The drinking. The ridiculous arguments over dumb things that turned into stupid brawls. 

Levy. 

And if he kept telling himself that, maybe he'd believe it.

People were starting to slip off, one by one, or more. Salamander first, gone before the bomb was dropped. Then Gramps, the coward, pulling the rug out from under them and not staying for the aftermath. Bisca and Alzack the day after. Not that he could blame them. They had a kid to take care of, after all, and they couldn't hang around to bask in their former glory when they needed to put food on the table for little Asuka. Some of the newer members he didn't know as well left, too, but it didn't feel like much of a loss. They weren't invested in the guild. Not like the rest of them. Those guys weren't about to sit around, waiting, hoping, that something would happen to keep the guild together.

Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe were the first real surprise. If Gajeel was disappointed that Laxus didn't stick, didn't try to hold the guild together and take the place of the next Master of Fairy Tail or however it worked, he wasn't going to tell anybody else. Three days after the guild was dissolved, when most of the members who remained were sitting in the guild hall, nursing their drinks and their sorrows, Laxus suddenly stood, slamming his tankard on the table.

"This isn't over. But we're not ready yet." Then he turned, nodded to the Thunder God Tribe, and headed for the door. Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen scrambled to their feet and followed after them. Evergreen shot a look at Elfman over her shoulder as she left. Both looked miserable.

A few moments passed, then Elfman said, "They're not coming back."

It didn't take too long for everyone else to scatter after that.

\---

Levy was one of the last to leave. Not like she was holding out hope or anything. After Laxus left, there was no one left who might be willing to resurrect the guild, at least not long term. Besides, she had a job offer from Jura, one of the Wizard Saints himself. It was time for a new adventure.

That didn't make it hurt any less, though. She surveyed her wall of books, debating what books she could bring and what she should store. Where she would store them, she wasn't quite sure, but she had a week before she had to be in Era and she'd cross that bridge when she got to it. Sighing, she climbed the ladder and selected several volumes on the very top shelf of the bookcase in front of her. Nine or ten were probably too many to grab, but if she only had to make one trip up the ladder...Carefully, she stacked the books in one arm and made her way down the ladder one-handed.

"You, too, Shrimp?" 

Her head snapped up at the gravelly voice. The gravelly male voice, in the girls' dormitory. In her surprise, she lost her grip on the ladder and the books. Her arms flailed wildly as she tried to keep her balance. Her heart dropped to her stomach as she and her books went flying. Squeezing her eyes shut, she braced herself for impact with the floor. 

Instead, she was caught in two steel-hard yet surprisingly gentle arms. Cracking one eye open, she saw Gajeel's face smirking down at her. 

"That's some greeting," he said.

Her heart was racing in her chest and her cheeks reddened. "Gajeel. What are you doing here?"

"I saw your sidekicks heading out of town without you, so I thought I'd check to see if you were still alive."

"Wh--what?" Her brain must have been short circuiting. It was the only thing that explained her inability to think, much less talk. She couldn't quite get past the fact that she was cradled in Gajeel's arms, against his hard, warm chest. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation. In fact, she probably liked it too much.

Gajeel shrugged, moving her along with his shoulders. The sensation of moving through the air with no control had her squeaking and wrapping her arms around Gajeel's neck. Yes. That was the only reason she did it. "No way they'd leave you otherwise."

She blinked again. "I got a job offer. They were going to come with me, but I convinced them that I they wouldn't really enjoy living in Era. It wasn't hard. I think they really wanted to prove they could make it on their own. Not that they need to. I know how strong they are."

Gajeel, apparently, only focused on one part of that statement. "Era? Where the Magic Council is?"

"Yes."

"Why're you going there? Who offered you a job?"

"The Magic Council."

He growled then, and she felt the rumble of it through his chest. What would he say, she wondered, if she stroked her fingers across the wide expanse of it? Not that she hadn't felt it before, but this time it wasn't a life or death situation. But she was leaving soon, and who knew when she'd see him again, if ever? That thought made her too sad to contemplate, so she refocused on what he was saying.

"What're you gonna do for those blowhards?" he demanded.

Levy shrugged. "What I do best. Research, translation."

"Sounds exciting."

She glared up at him at his scoff. "It will be, actually. It's not guild work, but..." 

He looked away, shifting her higher in his arms. "You could always join a different guild. I'm sure some of the others are going to."

"I...I can't," Levy said witha shake of her head. "It would feel disloyal. At least for me. This guild has been the only family I've known since I was six. I'm not ready to join another one. Is that what you're going to do?"

"I'm keeping my options open, but I haven't made any decisions yet." 

They fell silent for a moment, "Hey, Gajeel?"

"What is it, shorty?" he asked, looking back down at her.

Her eyes widened under the force of his gaze, and she tried not to let her voice stammered. "C-can you put me down?"

"But it's so much easier to talk to you when you're all the way up here."

He laughed when she gasped in outrage. She let go of him to beat at his shoulders with her fists, knowing it wouldn't hurt him since physical strength wasn't exactly her strong suit. "Stupid Gajeel! Put me down!" Levy tried not to feel too disappointed when he complied. To hide what she was feeling, she bent down to pick up some of her fallen books, gratified when Gajeel did the same. 

He stood, examining the title in one of his hands. "The Beauty and the Sea God Slayer, huh? This don't look much like research material."

Levy felt yet another blush creeping up her cheeks as she snatched the book out of his hand and hugged it to her chest. "It's not. The library at the Magic Council will have all the research I need."

Gajeel scowled. "Don't tell me you're into those God-slayin' types like the guy from Sabertooth, are ya?"

She slammed the book against his arm. "Get out, dummy! I have to pack!"

\---

Thirty minutes later, he was back in her doorway at Fairy Hills, this time with Pantherlily in tow. He watched for a few moments as Levy busily filled a large box with books. All novels, he saw. He couldn't wait to tease her about them. His lips tilted downward when a few more moments passed and he realized she still hadn't noticed he was there.

"We gotta work on your observational skills, shrimp." She jumped, and honestly he was impressed with just how high she got, both physically and vocally. Gajeel winced and covered his ears. "Ow."

Pressing her hand to her chest, Levy glared. "What are you doing back here? I told you, I have to pack--oh. Hi, Lily!"

The cat nodded at her. "Hi, Levy. Do you need help packing?"

"Oh, is that why you're here?" Levy smiled brightly. "I'd love your help."

"That's not why I'm here," Gajeel said with a scowl.

Levy matched his scowl with one of her own. "I don't recall asking you!"

Gajeel had to bite back a smile. He was pretty sure she'd throw everything on her shelves at him, and then hit him for making her damage her precious books. She might actually set him on fire if he knew she thought she looked adorable when she was annoyed with him. For a few days, he'd been...grumpy whenever he thought about how he might not see her again. But now, that didn't matter, and he was almost...happy.

He continued to stand in her doorway while Lily helped Levy gather up her things and pack them away. "I know you're not bringin' all of these with you to Era. What're you gonna do with the ones you're not taking?"

Levy sighed. "I don't know yet. I was hoping, if Mira was sticking around, she might have some extra room at home. I could probably also keep paying rent here."

"I got a solution for ya."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You do?"

"Yeah. You can you use our house. Mine and Lily's." 

"I've seen your house, Gajeel. It's not that big. With all of my books in there, you wouldn't have room to breathe, much less move around in there." 

He waved her off. "Don't worry about it. Lily and me made a decision on what we're doin' next."

Levy blinked in surprise and straightened from the suitcase she'd been filling with clothes. "That was fast."

"Yeah, well I was inspired." Over her shoulder, he saw Lily smile as he continued to ferry Levy's things from the shelves and into boxes.

"Oh?" Levy raised a brow. "So what's next for Black Steel Gajeel?"

"We're going to Era. With you," he added helpfully when she didn't say anything for a long moment.

"You're what?"

"Lily and I are going to Era with you. We figured without Dumb and Dumber to watch your back, we'd have to do it for you."

"In case it escaped your notice, I'm a full fledged wizard. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself."

"Yeah, but a small thing like you in a big city? Spells trouble to me."

"Era's not that big."

"When was the last time you were there?"

"When was the last time you were there?" she shot back, hands on her hips. "Besides, with the Magic Council and the Custody Enforcement Units based in the area, it's probably the safest place I could be."

"Those Custody Enforcement jerks are the ones I'm worried about," he muttered, picturing Levy surrounded by tall, handsome Doranbolt types fawning over her. Not that he was jealous. Gajeel didn't do jealousy. Besides, he was gonna be around to make sure that that never happened, so he had nothing to worry about. Not that he was worried.

"Why do you keep scowling at me?" Levy demanded, an adorably ferocious frown on her own face. And if he didn't stop that, he was gonna smile and she was gonna kick him. 

"Why do you keep arguing with me?"

"I've never been to Era," Lily interjected. Both Gajeel and Levy turned to him. "We thought it would be nice to go somewhere new. See what kind of work there is for me and Gajeel. We thought it would be better to go with someone we knew, and since we like you better than anyone else in the guild--"

Gajeel crossed his arms across his chest. "I never said I liked her!" 

"Don't be an idiot, Gajeel." Lily turned back to Levy. "I hope you don't mind if we accompany you."

"I don't mind if you come along, Lily." She jerked her finger towards Gajeel. "Him, however?"

"Where he goes, I go, so suck it up, short stuff. Do you want to use my house to store your stuff or not?"

"I--why are you keeping your house if you're not staying?"

"Because it's mine. If you want to use the house, the price is letting me and Lily come along with you." 

That brought a smile to her face. "Careful, Gajeel. Your dragon is showing. Fine. Thank you. I'll take you up on your offer. But don't think you're coming along to protect me."

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Wouldn't dream of it. Are we gonna pack your stuff or what?"

**Author's Note:**

> This is, hopefully, the start of a series of fics exploring the year between Fairy Tail disbanding and then getting back together. Any feedback is greatly appreciated :) In my head, Gajeel and Lily have a house like Natsu and Happy do.


End file.
